This blog will take a closer look at the status of women throughout the U.S. and the issues that yet remain to create an equitable playing field. Areas to be examined include (but are not limited to): women's safety from verbal and physical abuse, equality inbusiness opportunities, advancing the women's movement by involvement in politics, looking at leadership roles in a radically new way, redefining what it means to be a woman in a way that prepares young women for entrepreneurism, and the eternal goal--eradicating sexism from every crack and crevice that has served as a detriment to our growth.
Conde Nast's recent April 2008 Portfolio: Business Intelligence article, titled Power Who Has it. Who Doesn't, clearly shows that parity with men will take an additional 73 years, if we do not make a concerted effort to change existing policies.
The pay gap narrowed in the 1980's but slipped in 2006. Women over the age of 25 earn76cents for every dollar earned by men according to the U.S. Labor Department, despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963.(Lest we forget, the Equal Pay Act prohibited discrimination of sex in the payment of wages by employers!)
All of the above effects women's ability to start, grow, and sustain a viable business of her own. She must be considered EQUAL first.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott
The best book I have ever read about marketing and PR is The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. What became evident from page one was that the rules had changed entirely, placing the entrepreneur more firmly in control than ever before.
Scott presents a clear-cut plan to bring the business owner up to speed in short order regarding blogging, writing press releases targeted to niche buyers, nanocasting for commercial purposes, and the importance of social networking.
In my seminars with female entrepreneurs, I always wave this one textbook before them and encourage its immediate purchase. So here is a direct link to his fabulous book which will irreparably alter and improve the way you think about marketing.
Having a 2010 mindset means that you are determined to succeed regardless of the economy. Being a part of a women's online network is essential to personal and business success. Podcasting, blogging, landing pages (plural), online press releases, social bookmarking, linking, commenting on other people's blogs, and article writing are "must-haves" for any female "guerilla marketer" and entrepreneur in today's market.
Do you know that 83% of all women go to the internet FIRST to discover their options? Let that sink in for a minute...What is your online presence saying about you? Sites further than page 4 of major search engines are losing clients every day to those on pages 1-3. Are you making your clients conduct a research project to find you?
Isn't it time you had a women's community in your corner to promote and publicize your business across the entire state? That's what we do! We bring women to our site daily who are seeking qualified businesses to hire. There's no reason why it couldn't be yours! Women prefer hiring other women, and that's a proven fact.
Rather than being a lone entity, join our fully optimized site, and experience the boost our Blueprint for Success will do for you! Go to the "Our Unique Features" page (first section of homepage) and start the New Year off with more than "good intentions."
What
is nanocasting? Nanocasting is a podcast that is created for commercial
purposes. A podcast is generally for entertainment or information, but
podcast is a direct appeal to your clients.
It is created in the
same way as a podcast, using an audio file. At The New TN Woman, we
will record your mini commercial, change it into and mp3 and place it
on your spotlight page, so you can tell your story directly to those
who visit our site. We can also modify the mp3 into an RSS feed, so you
can be post it easily on podcasting sites elsewhere on the internet.
An RSS feed is like a cocoon of information about the mp3 that tells
who authored it and its contents.
Those between 20-40 are
listening to podcasts online daily, downloading them to their ipods and
other hand-held devices; if your podcast is exciting and interesting,
there is always the potential for it to go "viral" and receive
countless downloads nationwide.
Why rely upon older methods of
advertising, when nanocasting is the wave of the future. Join The New
Tennessee Woman and we will help you create your first podcast to share
with all who surf the net.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR for 2009 and beyond…
1. Podcasts: Purchase a small Sony voice recorder. Create mp3’s and post them online.Send people to your podcast to learn more about your business with an email link.
2. Write your own Press Releases at time of launch and every time you improve your businesses. Fine hone your writing skills, learn PR formatting, and promote, promote, promote!
3. Submit articles to online magazines; become a trusted source. Keep it informative not a sales script.
4. Make certain you have an online presence and it looks professional, rather than social (like Facebook). It’s proven that several single landing pages on multiple sites works better than one large site alone.
5. Develop strategic alliances with other female business owners. Cross promote each other. Send out joint mailings, combining your databases and sharing expenses.
6. Write your own blog related to your business and update it weekly. Place it every directory possible.
7. Read the book Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson, 2007 and The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott. Never stop learning from experts in sales/marketing.
8. Create a different strategy for each of your target markets; for instance, I have three markets: Mompreneurs, new CEOs, and experienced CEOs. They each have different needs for their business.
9. Create a two-second introduction. Mine is: “The New Tennessee Woman is dedicated to coaching and promoting female entrepreneurs throughout the state.” Memorize it and share it daily.
10. Create a free event to introduce people to your business. Provide food and beverages.
11. Be philanthropic in your community; support a charity that supports women and children. They always have a list of requests for donations.
12. Direct mail marketing: give something related to your business, rather than a cheap trinket. When entrepreneurs sign up on this website they receive a gift that supports a women's charity in TN. Who needs another key chain, refrigerator magnet or mug?
13. Post on other people’s blogs; include all contact information for your business and links to your other blogs, articles, etcetera.
14. Print advertising is tossed daily. Online advertising works for you 24-7. One is trackable, the other is not. Plan accordingly.
15. Quality coaching is essential to any successful business. Informal meetings are great for exchanging contacts, but obtain advice from professional business coaches.Men seek the advice of 3-4 coaches during their business career, so should women!
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